After a "winter" of much warmer than normal
temperatures, the month of March upped the ante - resembling early
summer more than spring for the area. A string of days where the high
temperatures reached well into the 70s to middle
80s dominated the middle portions of the month, and some
longstanding records fell along the way. Low temperatures on some
mornings failed to drop below 60 - rare for March in the Ohio
Valley. Below is a graphical and tabular summary of what was an
incredibly warm month.

Record Daily Temperatures Set Across OH/KY/IN in March
2012

Below is a table of the number of records (both record high maximum
temperatures and record high minimum temperatures) set across all of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky
during the month of March.

It was a much more prolific month for record high maximum
temperatures than record high minimums. What is also
impressive to note is, the average difference for each record
broken during the month. While some records were only tied or
marginally broken, the average difference for the entire month exceeded
4 degrees per record, indicating that as a whole, daily records were
bested easily in most instances.

As the table below clearly shows, the most atypical days for widespread
warmth (via number of records broken and amount those records were
broken by) were March 20th, and March 21st.

Date

#
High Maximum Temperature Records Broken or Tied

Average
Difference Between New and Old Record

#
High Minimum Temperature Records Broken or
Tied

Average
Difference Between New and Old Record

3/1

22

2.50

3

1.00

3/2

3

1.00

--

--

3/3

4

1.25

--

--

3/4

1

0.00

--

--

3/7

--

--

1

0.00

3/8

--

--

7

1.86

3/10

1

3.00

--

--

3/12

2

3.00

--

--

3/13

--

--

7

1.57

3/14

23

2.61

1

1.00

3/15

58

2.24

23

4.56

3/16

37

2.96

36

3.83

3/17

34

4.43

28

5.41

3/18

56

2.28

48

3.61

3/19

44

4.09

50

4.46

3/20

100

5.13

63

4.54

3/21

112

5.96

69

6.22

3/22

59

4.97

38

4.57

3/23

66

5.11

44

2.57

3/24

9

4.33

34

2.59

3/25

1

8.00

12

1.75

3/26

1

7.00

1

2.00

3/28

2

1.00

--

--

3/29

3

0.33

--

--

3/30

3

0.33

--

--

3/31

2

0.500

--

--

Total

643

4.20

465

4.15

Greatest Difference
Between New and Old Daily Records

For
maximum temperatures, the cooperative observer site 5SW of Tipton, IN
(period of record of 30 years) on March 23rd bested their previous
record high temperature by
17 degrees, by recording a high of 84
degrees and the previous record being 67 degrees in 2007.

For minimum temperatures, two locations tied for the honor of greatest
record difference. The cooperative observer 4WNW of Perrysville, IN
(period of record 30 years) on March 21st recorded a minimum
temperature of 61 degrees (previous record 44 in 2003). The
cooperative observer 1S of Lagrange, IN (period of record 45 years) on
March 21st also recorded a minimum temperature of 61 degrees (previous
record 44 degrees in 2000). Both of these new records
shattered the old records by
17 degrees.

Record Daily Maximum
Temperatures Set At CVG/DAY/CMH

City

Date

Old Record

New or Tied Record

Columbus

March
14

78

78
(Tied)

Columbus

March
17

74

75

Columbus

March
19

77

78

Columbus

March
20

78

84

Columbus

March
21

77

85*

Columbus

March
22

82

85*

Dayton

March
17

73

73
(Tied)

Dayton

March
18

77

78

Dayton

March
19

78

81

Dayton

March
20

80

83

Dayton

March
21

78

86

Cincinnati

March
17

76

76
(Tied)

Cincinnati

March
18

78

79

Cincinnati

March
19

81

81
(Tied)

Cincinnati

March
20

82

83

Cincinnati

March
21

82

83

Record High Daily
Minimum Temperatures Set at CVG/DAY/CMH

City

Date

Old Record

New Record

Columbus

March
18

56

58

Columbus

March
21

61

62

Dayton

March
15

54

60

Dayton

March
18

53

60

Dayton

March
21

58

59

Cincinnati

March
15

56

57

All-Time
March Monthly Records Set - Single Day Records

A number of all-time March records were set as a part of this very warm
month. Below is a table of the local all-time March records set in the
NWS Wilmington, Ohio forecast area. All records were maximum
temperatures, there were no record high all-time March minimums

Location

Old
Record

New
Record

Type

Columbus,
OH

84
(1929/1910)

85

Maximum
Temperature

Brookville,
IN

86
(1929)

88

Maximum
Temperature

Richmond,
IN

82
(1998/1986/1981)

85

Maximum
Temperature

Celina
3NE

82
(1986)

85

Maximum
Temperature

Cheviot,
OH

83
(1998)

85

Maximum
Temperature

Fernbank,
OH

84
(2007/1986)

86

Maximum
Temperature

Cincinnati2,
OH

85
(1986)

86

Maximum
Temperature

Columbus1,
OH

83
(1986)

85

Maximum
Temperature

Eaton,
OH

82
(1986)

84

Maximum
Temperature

Hillsboro,
OH

85
(1945/1929/1910)

85
(T)

Maximum
Temperature

Kenton,
OH

83
(1910)

85

Maximum
Temperature

London,
OH

82
(1998/1945/1921)

83

Maximum
Temperature

Marysville,
OH

83
(1939)

85

Maximum
Temperature

Sidney
1S, OH

81
(1986)

86

Maximum
Temperature

Springfield,
OH

81
(1998/1986)

85

Maximum
Temperature

Westerville,
OH

82
(1998/1986)

85

Maximum
Temperature

Xenia
6SSE, OH

83
(1986/1939/1938)

84

Maximum
Temperature

1 At Valley Crossing2At Lunken Municipal Airport

All-Time Warmest
March on Record

An equally high number of locations broke their record for the warmest
March ever recorded when considering average daily temperature.

Location

Old
Record

New
Record

Columbus,
OH

52.6
(1946)

53.8

Cincinnati,
OH

54.7
(1946)

55.3

Dayton,
OH

52.8
(1946)

53.6

Brookville,
IN

52.1
(1945)

55.0

Bellefontaine,
OH

50.9(1946)

51.5

Circleville,
OH

51.9
(1945/1946)

53.7

Newark,
OH

49.9
(1945)

50.0

Urbana,
OH

51.1
(1946)

51.2

Celina
3NE

47.3
(1973)

54.0

Cheviot,
OH

48.9
(2000)

54.7

Cincinnati1,
OH

51.9
(1973)

54.7

Fairfield,
OH

53.6
(1946)

54.6

Greenville,
OH

50.6
(1946)

52.2

London,
OH

50.3
(1921)

50.4

Marysville,
OH

49.3
(1946)

52.3

Sidney
1S, OH

42.9
(2000)

51.5

Springfield,
OH

46.7
(1973)

51.2

Westerville,
OH

48.2
(1973)

54.7

Wilmington
3N, OH

52.0
(1945/1946)

52.5

Xenia
6SSE, OH

51.7
(1945)

55.8

1At
Lunken Municipal Airport

Graphics

These graphics, courtesy of the Midwest Regional Climate Center, show
some of the interesting aspects of the extremely warm March.